Chrysanthemum plant named `Regal Suerte`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Regal Suerte`, characterized by its daisy-type inflorescences that are about 10 cm in diameter; attractive dark purple ray florets and bright yellow disc florets; numerous ray florets per inflorescence arranged in multiple rows; numerous disc florets per inflorescence; and excellent postproduction longevity with flowering stems maintaining good substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interior environment after one week of cool storage.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andreferred to by the cultivar name Regal Suerte.

The new cultivar is a product of a mutation induction breeding programconducted by the inventor in Fort Myers, Fla., and Salinas, Calif. Theobjective of the program is to create new Chrysanthemum cultivars havinginflorescences with desirable form and floret colors, good substance,and excellent post-production longevity.

The new cultivar originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of theChrysanthemum cultivar Suerte (disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,225to a X-ray radiation level of 2,000 rads on Sep.29, 1994 in Fort Myers,Fla. Following the radiation treatment, the cuttings were rooted andterminal apices were removed (pinched) three times to promote lateralbranch development. After lateral branches from the third pinch reachedsufficient size, terminal cuttings were harvested, planted and floweredin a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The cultivar Regal Suertewas discovered and selected by the inventor as a single flowering plantwithin this population on Apr. 20, 1995. The selection of this plant wasbased on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, goodsubstance, and excellent post-production longevity. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Salinas, Calif., plants of the newChrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent cultivar, Suerte, in rayfloret color as plants of Suerte have lighter purple-colored rayflorets. However plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not significantlydifferent from plants of Suerte in any other horticulturalcharacteristics. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Salinas,Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum have also been compared to othersimilar cultivars such as Orange Suerte (disclosed in U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 08/867,697) and Coral Suerte (disclosed in U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 08/867,696). Plants of these cultivarsalso differ from plants of the new Chrysanthemum in ray floret color asplants of Orange Suerte have orange-colored ray florets and plants ofCoral Suerte have coral-colored ray florets. Plants of the newChrysanthemum are not significantly different from plants of OrangeSuerte and Coral Suerte in any other horticultural characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Salinas, Calif., has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

The cultivar Regal Suerte has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of `Regal Suerte`. These characteristicsin combination distinguish `Regal Suerte` as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Daisy-type inflorescences that are about 10 cm in diameter.

2. Attractive dark purple ray florets and bright yellow disc florets.

3. Numerous ray florets per inflorescence arranged in multiple rows.

4. Numerous disc florets per inflorescence.

5. Excellent postproduction longevity with flowering stems maintaininggood substance and color for about three to four weeks in an interiorenvironment after one week of cool storage.

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The first photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typicalflowering stem of `Regal Suerte` grown as a single-stem spray cutChrysanthemum.

The second photograph comprises a side perspective view of typicalinflorescences of the cultivar Regal Suerte.

The third photograph comprises a top perspective view of upper (top) andlower (bottom) surfaces of typical inflorescences of the cultivarsSuerte (left) and Regal Suerte (right) which shows the difference in rayfloret colors.

The fourth photograph comprises a top perspective view of the uppersurfaces of typical leaves of the cultivar Regal Suerte at two differentstages of development. Floret and foliage colors in the photographs maydiffer from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., undercommercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Day and nighttemperatures ranged from 18 ° to 24° C. and 16 ° to 17° C.,respectively, and light levels ranged from 2,500 to 3,500 footcandles.Rooted cuttings were planted Feb. 13, 1997 and cut flowers wereharvested on Apr. 21, 1997. After planting rooted cuttings of the newcultivar, plants received two weeks of long day/short nights followingby short day/long nights until flowering. Plants were grown assingle-stem, that is, without pinching. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages for six typical flowering stems.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar RegalSuerte.

Commercial classification: Daisy spray-type cut Chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Induced mutation of Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Suerte(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,225).

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous daisy spray-type cut flower. Stemsupright, uniform habit and freely branching.

Flowering stem length.--About 94 cm.

Foliage description.--Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Leaf size, fullyexpanded: Length: About 11 cm. Width: About 7.5 cm. Leaf apex:Cuspidate. Leaf base: Attenuate. Leaf margin: Deeply lobed. Leaftexture: Upper and lower surfaces slightly pubescent. Veins prominent onlower surface. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliagelower surface: 147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliagelower surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147B. Venation lowersurface: 147B. Petiole: Length: About 2.5 cm. Color: 147B.

Flowering description:

Appearance.--Daisy-type inflorescence form. Inflorescences borne onterminals, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arrangedacropetally on a receptacle.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plant flowers in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about52 days later.

Postproduction longevity.--In an interior environment, flowering stemswill maintain good color and substance for about three or four weeks inan interior environment after one week of cool storage.

Quantity of inflorescences.--About 11 inflorescences per flowering stem.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 10 cm. Depth (height): About 1.2cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.75 cm. Diameter of receptacle: About 7 mm.

Ray florets.--Shape: Oblong, curled slightly inward. Size: Length: About4.7 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Apex: Rounded to dentate. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Entire. Texture: Satiny, smooth, glabrous Aspect: Flat. Numberof ray florets per inflorescence: About 75. Color: When opening: Uppersurface: 71A/71B. Lower surface: 75A. Base: 154A. Mature: Upper surface:67A/71B. Lower surface: 75A/75B. Base: 154A.

Disc florets.--Shape: Tubular. Size: Length: About 8 mm. Width: Apex:About 2.5 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: About 127. Color: Immature: 154A. Mature: Apex: 9A. Base:Greenish white. Throat: 9A.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Strong and angled about 50° to the stem. Length:First peduncle: About 10 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 15.5 cm. Seventhpeduncle: About 21 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 147B.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 15A. Pollen: Moderate, 15A in color. Gynoecium: Present on bothray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: No known Chrysanthemum diseases observed to date onplants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed `Regal Suerte`, as illustrated and described.